On The Outside
by Taz Maniac
Summary: ::COMPLETE::After she is attacked, the staff of the ER close ranks around Abby, and Luka finds himself outside the circle. Post-ep for TLYS.
1. Get Carter

**A/N: This is a post-ep for TLYS, AU, of course. I can't remember the exact dialogue from the show, so I'll just beg for your forgiveness in advance if the first part isn't exactly correct. ::begs:: Well, now that that's done with, read on.**

**Summary: After she is attacked, the staff of the ER closes ranks around Abby, and Luka finds himself outside the circle.**

Chapter 1

            "Carter can have you."

            As soon as he said the words he regretted it. He meant it, he meant every word of it, but he couldn't bear to see the hurt look on her face, to know that his words had made her look that way. It was like he had just stabbed her in the heart.

            "Oh. Okay," she said quietly, for a lack of anything better to say. Well, he had made clear how he felt. It was obvious that there was nothing else that could be said. She turned away from him. She walked away.

            _I'm sorry, Abby,_ he wanted to say. He didn't want her to look so sad, to know that he had caused her pain. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, that would make things better.

            She was already gone.

            He closed his eyes, he slapped the wall. "No," he said quietly to no one in particular. He had never wanted things to end like this; both of them pissed off, yelling things they didn't mean. But it appeared he didn't have a choice in the matter. He had told her how he felt; she had walked away. It was over.

            With a heavy heart, Luka walked back towards the El.

__________________________________________________________________

            Abby was walking fast. Was she really walking away from him? She didn't want to, but he hadn't given her a choice. 

            Things had changed so much between them. When they first started dating, they had been so close. They had loved spending time with each other. But now, it was all she could do to pry him away from his video games and make him go with her to dinner.

            She thought of him sitting at the bar talking with his friend while she waited outside in the cold, then practically flirting with that waitress. Had she overreacted? She didn't think so. It was almost like he wanted her to say something, to challenge him. Well, she had. And look what happened.

            Maybe this was what he wanted. Maybe he was tired of her, but didn't want it to be his fault that they had broken up. That seemed to be what he was trying to say; why else would he have followed her off the El, telling her everything that has wrong with her? He was tired of being with her, but wanted to be able to place all the blame for their failing relationship on her shoulders. Well, she wasn't taking it.

            _It was his fault too,_ she reasoned with herself. He was the one who had purposely brought her to a diner where he knew everyone, just so she would feel out of place. He was the one who had left her standing out in the cold while he chatted it up with a friend. He had played up to that waitress like she was invisible, then pretended like he was doing nothing. No, this was as much his fault as it was hers, and she had no regrets. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body. _No regrets,_ she reminded herself, walking on.

            She heard footsteps behind her, and she knew who it was. Her heart skipped a beat. What would she do now? What if he wanted to apologize? But it was too late; he had shown her how he felt. They couldn't go back to the way things were before. 

            But he had probably gotten halfway to the El then remembered how much he loved her, remembered all the good times they had had together, so he panicked and came back. He would probably try to apologize, try to take back all the things he had said. She was ready for this.

            She was not ready for the concrete block that smashed down on her head just as she turned to confront him.

____________________________________________________

            "Carter? You're still here?"

            Carter sighed. "Yes, I'm still here."

            "Didn't you get off six hours ago?" Malik said, pointing to the clock.

            Carter nodded. "Yes, but I had to help care for the wave of freaks we just got." He glanced around the admit desk. It was fairly empty in the waiting room. "Well, it looks like my services are no longer needed here. Would you tell Weaver I left?"

            Malik put his hands in the air. "Tell her yourself. She's still fuming about Chen and Malucci; I'm not going anywhere near her unless I have to."

            "Fine, I'll do it myself, since it seems like no one wants to do _anything_ around here." He snatched off him stethoscope as he prowled the halls, looking for Weaver. Thinking about it, he realized that he probably shouldn't have bitten Malik's head off like that; but he was sick and tired of being at County. He had missed dinner with his parents, gotten blood on one of his favorite pairs of pants, and to top it all off, now everyone was leaving and they seemed to expect _him_ to take their patients! Well, he wouldn't. He was clocking out _right now, and then he was out of here._

            The paramedics crashed through the ambulance doors. "Can somebody take this? Dr. Carter?" they asked, wheeling the gurney in his direction.        

            "NO. I am off," he stated firmly, going into the lounge just in case they didn't believe him.

            "We need someone to take this," said the paramedic. "Mugging victim, LOC, cranial bleeding? We called this in."

            Malik shook his head. "WE didn't get it. Must be something wrong with the radio. I'll see if I can find Weaver." Malik raced off down the hall in search of a doctor.

            There was Chen! She was in a Trauma room facing the wall. He was about to barge in when he noticed the tears streaming down her face. Okay, maybe not. He'd just try to find Weaver and give Chen a chance to compose herself. 

            "Doctor Weaver!" he yelled, spotting her from down the hall. "We got a trauma here, no one to take it!"

            "Get Carter," she said abruptly.

            "He left," Malik lied, knowing how long Carter had been on. He deserved a break.

            Weaver sighed. "Where are Chen and Malucci? Don't answer that, I don't wanna know," she said before he could respond. "I'll take it."

            Weaver and Malik joined the paramedics, who had taken it upon themselves to wheel the gurney into Trauma 2. "What do we have?"

            "Jane Doe, about thirty-five, mugging victim. Looks like she got hit on the head with a large object, she's got serious bleeding. She was unconscious when we got there."

            Weaver nodded and strapped on gloves. "Okay, let's-" Her words stopped abruptly when she saw the woman on the gurney.

            "Oh my God," Weaver and Malik said at the same time. There, lying on the gurney covered in blood, was Abby.

            "Get another nurse," Weaver said to Malik, quickly recovering from her shock. She didn't know what had happened, but she would try her best to see that Abby lived to tell about it.

___________________________________________________________

            The hypnotic motion of the El was almost enough to lull Luka to sleep. He was so tired. He just wanted to be off this train and back at home.

            He thought of the way he had left Abby. How had things ever gotten so out of hand? They used to care about each other. He still loved her; he didn't know how she felt about him. What had happened to their relationship?

            He thought back over the night's events. He really _had_ forgotten about Abby standing outside, and when the man at the bar started talking about his troubles, what could he do but listen? She had been so mad, but it was a simple mistake. But was that really all it was about?

            Lately, it seemed like they fought about everything. The simplest mistake by either of them was enough to start a full-scale battle. Maybe that was a sign that it was time for their relationship to end. They had had some great times together, but maybe it was time to call it quits.

            Did he really want to? Abby was the first woman he had been with after Danjela. There had been a time when he actually thought that theirs was a love that would last forever. But that was before he really knew Abby, before he had gotten a chance to see her dark side. He had been willing to help her through her problems, but she had made it obvious that she didn't want to change, so there was nothing more he could do. Maybe being apart would be the best thing for both of them.__

            Luka sighed wearily and rubbed his eyes. So much had happened in one night. He just needed some time to think about all this. Maybe tomorrow, after a good night's sleep, he would have a different perspective on things. He closed his eyes, and was soon rocked to sleep by the rhythm of the El.

**A/N: Yes, yet another Abby-gets-hurt story from yours truly. What can I say; I just can't stay away from em. I know I'm two years late to the party, but I watched TLYS last night, and I just couldn't resist tailoring the ending to suit myself. Do be a good lass (or lad) and review. A thousand thanks. ~Taz **


	2. What Happened?

Chapter 2

            Weaver sighed a sigh of relief and stripped off her gloves, throwing them down on the floor. "Okay, she's stable. Someone needs to take her up."

            "I will," Carter said, never taking his eyes off Abby.

            Her breathing was labored. Her skull was cracked. But she was alive, and that was all that mattered. He got behind the gurney and wheeled it towards the elevator.

            It had been a rough night. As soon as he came out of the lounge and saw Malik's face, he knew something was horribly wrong. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Abby, laying on the gurney, bruised and bleeding. The cops said she had been mugged. He had just stood at the end of the gurney until Weaver yelled at him to get moving. It seemed too horrible. How could someone do this to Abby?

            For a while there, they had thought they might lose her. She wasn't responding well, wasn't waking up, still losing a lot of blood. Every ER staff member that was on duty waited outside the doors of the Trauma Room to see if their co-worker would survive. 

            Finally, after what seemed like hours of work, she stabilized, and the entire ER breathed a sigh of relief. She was going to be okay. But she wasn't completely in the clear yet; there still might be brain damage, but they wouldn't know until she woke up.

            Several of his co-workers smiled and patted him on the back as he walked by. They all knew how close he and Abby were. Seeing her on that gurney lying in her own blood had been like a knife through his heart. He prayed that he would never have to witness anything like that again.

            Luka. Someone still had to call him. They had tried his cell, but he wasn't answering. Carter thought that was strange; he knew Abby had been with Luka. He had talked to her on the phone less than an hour before the attack, and Luka was there. But for some reason, Luka wasn't answering at home or on his cell or pager. Carter hoped he wasn't hurt as well. They weren't exactly best friends, but he still wouldn't wish anything bad for Luka.

            As he wheeled Abby's gurney out of the elevator, he wondered if Luka could shed any light on what happened to Abby.            

________________________________________________________

            Normally, Maria didn't want to have anything to do with the police, but her conscience had been bothering her ever since what she saw last night. She couldn't just ignore it, it wouldn't be right. But she didn't want to get involved; maybe she could just call in anonymously.

            Yes, she would do it. No one would ever know it was her; she could call from a pay phone. Maybe that would help that young woman's attacker come to justice.

            Once her mind was had up, she walked to the pay phone and did it. There was no point in giving herself time to change her mind.

            "I have information about a woman who was attacked last night on 75th street," she said, trying to muffle her voice so no one would recognize it.

            Detective Gilbert typed the information into the computer. "Abby Lockhart. Yes, what to you know?"

            Maria's heart pounded. She just wanted to get this over with. "I saw her. She was fighting with a man, a tall man with dark skin. I had my window open, so I heard them."

            Gilbert was scribbling furiously on his notebook. "What did you hear?" he asked.  

            "They were yelling at each other. The man was yelling at her. He grabbed her and yelled at her." At least that was the way Maria remembered it. She had seen too many women abused by men; she couldn't afford to not tell the police this. Maybe they could help the woman somehow.

            "What do you mean by grabbed her?"

            She was a little fuzzy on this part. He did grab her, didn't he? Maybe he had grabbed her by the arms. "He grabbed her by the arms, and shook her and yelled at her." Yes, she remembered clearly now; that was what had happened.

            "Do you remember anything else, ma'am? What was the man wearing?"

            Maria thought hard. "I can't remember," she admitted. "But he had an accent, a strange kind of accent. I remember that."

            "Do you know what kind?"

            "No," she was forced to admit.

            "It there anything else you can tell me about the man, or about what happened?"

            Maria racked her brain, but couldn't come up with anything else. "No. That is all I know."

            "Well, I appreciate your help. Could I get your name, ma'am?" Gilbert asked politely.

            "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, quickly hanging up the phone. A bewildered Gilbert was left listening to a dial tone.

______________________________________________________

            "Hello?"

            "Luka, it's Carter."

            Luka groaned inwardly. Why had he answered the phone? He knew it was work, but he was dead tired. That was why he had ignored the phone all night long. But now, it looked like they got him.

            "What is it, Carter?" he asked wearily.

            "It's Abby. She was hurt."

            "_What?_" Luka rose from his seat in shock. He was _not_ expecting that. "What happened?"

            "It looks like she was mugged. She was hit on the head with a large object, and she's stable, but she still hasn't woken up."

            Cell phone in hand, Luka was already headed for the door. "When did this happen?"

            "Last night."

            That stopped Luka cold. Last night. After he left her. She was probably so busy thinking about their fight, she didn't even notice the mugger until it was too late. The guilt weighed heavy on his mind. Why hadn't he walked her home? Why had he left her on the streets at night by herself?

            "Luka? You there?"

            "Yes, I'm here, and I'm on my way to the hospital."

_____________________________________________________________

            Luka had expected to see her lying alone in a bed, a heart monitor's beeping the only sound in the room. He couldn't have been more wrong.

            He didn't even recognize all the faces that had crowded into Abby's room. Even from the hallway, he could hear the quiet buzzing that was always present in a sick room. All heads turned towards him, and a hush fell over the room as he entered.

            "How is she?" he asked no one in particular as he walked over to her bedside.

            "She's doing better. She still hasn't woken up," said Carter. Luka felt irritated by the fact that Carter was here before him; but that wasn't really anyone's fault.

            She looked pale, weak. He had grabbed her chart as he walked in the room, but he hadn't so much as glanced at it. All he could think about was her.

            He felt a lump in his throat as he looked down at her. A nurse had probably washed the blood from her face and hair, but there was a bandage wrapped around her head, and her face was swollen with bruises. He took her hand in his. It felt cold in his grasp.

            Even though he knew the room was full of people, it seemed to him like it was just he and Abby. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, not caring who heard him. Why had he left her alone?

            Whatever they had argued about last night seemed irrelevant now. All that mattered was that she recovered.

            The chart said she had cracked her skull. What if there was brain damage? What if she was forever impaired because of him? 

            _It's not my fault,_ he bargained with himself. How could I have known this would happen? Abby walks home by herself all the time! But he still felt the guilt, knowing he had let her down. "Who's her doctor?" he asked.           

            "Jennings," Carter said quickly, wanting to help in any way he could. "Want me to go get him?" Luka nodded. Carter left the room, and Luka turned his attention back to Abby.

________________________________________________________

            When Gilbert showed up at County, he wasn't sure where to start. He talked to the woman at the admit desk, and discovered that some of the victim's co-workers were visiting her in her hospital room. He got directions and went there.

            When he got to the room, he discovered a man and two women sitting by a hospital bed. They all looked up when he came in. "I'm Detective Gilbert, Chicago PD. I'm investigating Abby Lockhart's attack?"

            They nodded. The man stood up. "I'm Doctor Carter. I work with Abby. We all do," he said, gesturing to the women. Gilbert quickly compared him to the description he had been given by the anonymous source. Nope, it didn't fit.

            "Of course, I want to talk to Miss Lockhart, but since I can't right now, I'd like to talk to whoever saw her last, see if I can figure out what happened. Does she have a boyfriend?" Gilbert asked, thinking about the anonymous tipster. What she had reported sounded like a lover's spat.

            Carter thought the question a little odd, but answered it anyway. "Yes, she does. He went to the bathroom. He should be back any minute now."

            On cue, Luka walked in the room. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at the police officer.

            Gilbert immediately knew that he had his man. Tall, dark, with an accent. Now, he just had to see if this man had just yelled at his girlfriend, or done something even worse.

            "I'm Detective Gilbert of the Chicago PD. I'm investigating your girlfriend's attack. Mind if we talk outside?"

            "Sure," Luka said, following the man into the hallway.

            "You were the last one to talk to Miss Lockhart before her attack?"

            Luka nodded. "I think so."

            "Could you tell me the circumstances?" Gilbert whipped out his notepad and prepared to start writing.

            Luka shifted uncomfortably. "Why is that important?" he asked. He didn't want to go into the details of their relationship with a cop. Besides, what did that have to do with Abby being attacked?

            "Well, Mr.-"

            "Kovac," Luka filled in.

            "Mr. Kovac, I always start an investigation by getting all the details. After I've done that, I decide what's important. Now, could you tell me everything that happened the last time you saw your girlfriend?"

            Luka rubbed the back of his neck. What would be the point of telling the officer that they had yelled at each other and broken up? "Well, we went out for dinner, and we were done about 11:00. We took the El, and..." He paused. What should he say next? If he told the officer that he had followed Abby for a few blocks then walked back to the El station, that would sound suspicious. Maybe he should just pretend he had stayed on the El.

            "Mr. Kovac?" Gilbert prompted.

            "And I...Abby got off at her stop, and I rode for a few more minutes then got off at mine." He hoped the officer bought his story.

            Gilbert pretended to be confused. "You mean you didn't get off with Abby?" he asked.

            Luka paused. Should he tell the truth? No, he would just look suspicious if he changed his story now. "No, I didn't."

            Gilbert stared at him. "A woman saw a man fitting your description walking with Abby on 75th. Now you wanna tell me what really happened?"

            Luka gulped. That was so stupid; why hadn't he just told the truth? Now the officer was looking at him like _he was the criminal. But if he came clean now, then he's _really _look guilty._

            "I...I got off with her, and we were fighting. But I didn't really see why you needed to know that."

            "As I said before, I get all the info first, then make my decisions. Now, you say you two were _fighting?"_

            "Arguing. We were arguing," Luka corrected. He was sweating heavily, and Gilbert noticed it.

            "What were you arguing about?"

            Luka shrugged. "Nothing, unimportant stuff."

            "And what happened next?"

            "Nothing. I went back to the El station, went home."

            "You two didn't have any kind of physical fight?"

            Why did Luka feel like he was being backed into a corner. "No, we didn't."

            Now Gilbert looked downright unfriendly. "We have a witness who says you shook Abby, that you two _were physically fighting." That was stretching the truth a bit, but he wanted to see what Luka would say. _

            "That's ridiculous, I would never hurt Abby!" he said.

            Gilbert had a cynical look on his face. "Well, I guess we'll just have to ask Abby, won't we? Just as soon as she wakes up. Maybe she'll be able to tell us who it was that hit her over the head."

            Now Luka was mad. "What are you trying to say? That _I_ attacked her? You're crazy!"

            "I'm not saying anything. I just find it strange that, in five minutes, you've changed your story twice."

            Luka shook his head. "But I didn't do it. I would never do that!" 

            Gilbert shrugged. "Guess we'll find out," he said.


	3. Whodunnit?

Chapter 3

            "Hey, Abby."

            Abby blinked her eyes in confusion. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice rough.

            "In the hospital. You were attacked," Carter said gently.

            Abby shook her head. "I don't remember," she said, scratching her head. "What's wrong with me?"

            "You hit your head pretty hard. Neurology's gonna wanna run some tests, make sure you didn't damage anything."

            "I_ feel okay," she said, stretching her fingers and toes. Yep, everything still worked. "Well, except for my head." She looked around the room. "Is Luka here?" she asked._

            Carter tried not to be disappointed by the fact that the first person she asked for was Luka. "No, he went to go and get something to eat," he said. "You hungry?"

            Abby shook her head. "No, just tired. How long have I been here?"

            "All night. There was a cop here. He'll probably want to talk to you."

            Abby frowned. "I can't remember," she said softly. "I can't remember what happened." She shook her head. "Why can't I remember?"

            "It happens a lot to people who have a traumatic experience; you know that," he said encouragingly. 

            "Yeah, it happens to _people. It's not supposed to happen to __me." She put her hands on her head. "I feel like a chunk of me is missing."_

            "Maybe you'll remember later," Carter suggested, trying to be encouraging. 

            "I hope so," she said quietly. 

__________________________________________________________________

            By the time Luka got the news that Abby was awake, the cops had already talked to her. He raced up to her room to see her, feeling suddenly guilty for enjoying a sandwich while Abby was in a coma. What kind of boyfriend was he, anyway?

            The kind that just dumped his girlfriend, he reminded himself. Technically, he and Abby weren't even a couple anymore. He had broken up with her right before she had gotten mugged. But Abby getting attacked had swept every thought of that from his mind. When he first heard about it, he hadn't even known if she would survive, and that made their earlier disputes seem so trivial.

            When he got to her room, he discovered a police officer guarding her room, which he thought was strange. But what he thought was even stranger was the fact that they wouldn't allow him to go in.

            "Detective Gilbert is talking to Miss Lockhart. You'll have to wait."

            So he waited. And waited. Finally, Gilbert emerged from the room.

            "Mr. Kovac, just the man I wanted to see. Could you come with me?"

            "I need to go see Abby," Luka said, walking past the man.

            "I don't think so," Gilbert said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

            "What are you talking about?" Luka asked, shrugging the man's hand off his shoulder. 

            "I talked to Miss Lockhart. She doesn't have any memory of the event."

            "That's common in victims of a trauma," Luka said quickly, looking over the man's shoulder to try and catch a glimpse into the room.

            "I know. Her doctor told me that." He placed a firm hand on Luka's arm. "I need you to come down to the station and answer a few questions."

            Luka stared at the man. "I already answered a few questions. I haven't done anything, and you're treating me like a criminal!"

            "You _have done something. You lied to me about leaving the train with Abby; why shouldn't you lie about attacking her?"_

            "This is crazy. I wouldn't have any reason to attack her!"

            "You said yourself that you two were fighting. You both probably said some things you didn't mean, maybe things got a little out of hand-"

            "No! I didn't do it," Luka insisted.

            "Then it shouldn't bother you to answer a few questions."

            Luka sighed. What choice did he have? Resignedly, he followed Gilbert to his squad car.

_______________________________________________________________

            "And could you touch each fingertip to your thumb in turn?"

            Carter watched anxiously from outside the door as the neurologist performed his tests on Abby. So far, she appeared to be doing pretty well. He hoped there wasn't any kind of permanent damage.

            He wondered where Luka had gone. Chuny had gone down to the cafeteria to get him, but neither of them had returned. He wondered what could possibly be taking so long.      

            On cue, he saw Chuny walking  towards him. "Did you find him?" Carter asked.

            "Not exactly," Chuny said. "The cops took him downtown for questioning."

            "What for?" he asked, not getting it.

            "They think he did it."

            Carter's eyes widened. He pointed to the window, where they could see Abby and the neurologist. "They think he...attacked her?"

            Chuny nodded. "Yeah. Her doctor said..."

            "Doctor Carter," the neurologist interrupted, coming out of the room.

            "How is she?" Carter asked anxiously.

            The neurologist looked grim. "It's really too soon to tell. She's having some difficulties, but they might go away once the swelling in her brain goes down."

            Carter nodded. "Are you done with the tests and everything?" The man nodded. "A nurse should be here to take her back to her room soon."

            "I can take her," Carter volunteered, and the doctor was more than happy to let him.

            "Hey Abby. Feeling any better?" he asked, entering the room.

            "A little. My head's still pounding. What'd he say? He wouldn't tell me anything, but I think I did pretty well on all the tests. And I _feel _normal," she said, reaching up to rub the bandage on her head.

            Carter nodded. "You ready to do back to your room?" he asked, dodging her question.

            "Yeah, sure. You're a nurse now?" she asked, amused, as he pushed the wheelchair over to the bed she was sitting on.

            "Yup, Nurse Carter, that's me," Carter said cheerily, helping Abby get into the chair.

            "Did Luka come by while I was asleep?" she asked as he wheeled her back to her room.

            Carter realized that she didn't know that Luka was the number one suspect. Well, he wasn't going to be the one to tell her. "He was by earlier, but he had to leave."

            Abby thought for a moment. "Does he know what happened? I remember we went to dinner, but I don't really remember anything after that. Maybe he could fill me in."

            "Actually, I already asked him. He says he doesn't know anything." At least that was one thing he could say truthfully.

            Abby sighed. "Maybe it'll come back to me," she said, unconvinced. "So what did the neurologist say?"

            "He said that you did fine on most of the tests, but that there was some residual damage. But it might get better after the swelling goes down," he said quickly, eager to impart some good news. They got to Abby's room, and Abby climbed into bed and closed her eyes.

            "Miss Lockhart?" Both Carter and Abby turned to face the cop that had just entered the room. Carter looked at the man's face and knew that he wasn't bringing good news.

            "Did you find who did this?" Abby asked, her face hopeful.

            Gilbert looked at the floor, the ceiling, everywhere but Abby. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a few more questions. Now, what's the last thing you remember from last night?"

            "I remember Luka and me going to dinner and...we went to a little cafe. A diner." Abby's brow furrowed. "That's the last thing I remember."

             "Do you recall you and your boyfriend having a fight that night?"

            Abby shook her head. "No. It that what Luka said happened?" she asked quickly. She wanted to know anything she could about the night that was completely absent from her memory.

            Gilbert nodded. "He said you two got in a fight and he left. We have a witness who claims she saw him grab you and shake you, and that he was yelling at you." Gilbert watched her face closely to see how he would respond. 

            Abby's face was the picture of confusion. The cops thought _Luka _had hurt her? That didn't sound like him. And she couldn't imagine him attacking her on the street. But he said they had a witness! Why would a stranger lie? "I...What did Luka say?" she asked, unsure of what to believe.

            "He denies it. He says the two of you were arguing, and he left." Gilbert took a step closer to the bed. "Miss Lockhart, does this sound like something he would do?"

            Abby couldn't imagine him doing something like this, but really, how well did she really know Luka? Had she ever seen him when he was really, _really_ angry? She couldn't recall that she had. This didn't sound like him, but could she say with any assurance that this was something that he _absolutely would not do? "I don't know," she had to admit. "I don't _think_ he would, but I'm not positive. I guess I don't really know him all that well."_

            "How long have you two been dating?" Gilbert asked.

            "A few months."

            "Has he ever been violent towards you before?"

            Abby shook her head. "No, no, he hasn't. I don't...think he would do something like this," she said hesitantly.

            Gilbert nodded. "Well, he's being questioned down at the station. I'm going to talk to some of your co-workers, see if he's ever displayed a temper in front of any of them. If you remember anything, here's my number down at the station. You can call me anytime." With these words, Gilbert left.

            Abby was visibly shaken. "They think Luka did this? They think he hit me over the head with something, cause he was mad?"

            Carter raised his eyebrows. "You think he didn't?"

            Abby turned to look at him. "Do you really think he would...do something like this?" she asked, suddenly sounding small. She hated this, Luka remembering what had happened that night while she didn't. How did she know if he was telling the truth? How did she know if he had a raging temper that he had somehow managed to keep under wraps while he was around her, that exploded last night? She was beginning to realize how little she actually knew about Luka's temperament. 

            Carter nodded. "Yes, I do. He's been out of control before, and I wouldn't put this past him." 

            Carter was trying to act calm for Abby's sake, but in reality, he was furious. He couldn't believe Luka had done this to Abby. He didn't need a confession; he believed they had already found the culprit. He had seen Luka's temper before, and he knew that attacking someone was just the next step. But Abby was, obviously, not so sure.

            "I wish I remembered. I have to take Luka's word for this, and I thought I could trust him, but now I'm not so sure."

            "Let's just hope you get your memory back," Carter said. Or that the cops get a confession out of Luka, he thought.


	4. The Wall Of Friends

Chapter 4

            "I never liked him."

            Connie nodded in agreement. "He always seemed kind of strange to me, the way he keeps to himself so much. But he seemed like a nice guy at first. Now, I guess we see he's not."

            "What are you guys doing?" Carter asked, walking into the room.

            "Just talking," Chuny said.

            "You know, she can probably hear you," Carter said, gesturing towards Abby.

            "Stop being such a worrywart, she's asleep," Chuny said.

            "You guys were talking about Luka?" Carter asked.

            "Yeah, they said they might arrest him," Lily informed him.

            "Do they have new information?" Carter asked quickly, suddenly forgetting that Abby was sleeping.

            Chuny was more than happy to fill him in. "That cop guy that was here? He was questioning everybody in the ER, and Yosh said that he saw Luka punch a guy in the face once, out in the ambulance bay. Nobody else saw it, but they're taking it pretty seriously. They're trying to see if anybody else has seen anything like that. They're pretty sure that he's the one that attacked Abby."

            "Have they arrested him?" Carter asked.

            "Nope, but they're gathering the evidence. It's not gonna be long," Haleh predicted.

            "Poor Abby," Lily said. "But she couldn't have known; none of us knew. He seemed like a nice guy..."

            It was getting harder and harder for Abby to pretend that she was still sleeping. Apparently, all of her co-workers had already made up their minds that Luka was guilty, and nothing anyone said would change that. So why was _she_ still not sure that he had done it?

_____________________________________________________

            Luka slammed the door of the car hard enough to tear it off the hinges. Could things possibly get any worse? He didn't think so.

            The policemen that questioned him had done everything but place him under arrest, and they made it clear that they didn't think an arrest warrant was far away. He wondered if anyone at County had heard about him being the prime suspect. He hoped not. He had been under enough suspicion for one day.

            When he walked into the ER, only Frank was at the admit desk. "So, you're back," Frank said, holding the phone in one hand.

            "Back from where?" Luka asked.

            "Back from the slammer. What did they, let you out on bail?"

            "What are you talking about?" Luka asked with a sinking feeling in his heart. He knew what Frank was talking about. Obviously, Frank knew he was a suspect. And if Frank knew, everybody knew.

            "You attacking your girlfriend, what else? You got that many crimes pending, that you can't remember which one you're in jail for? Oh, I've got a call, we'll have to chat later," Frank said, picking up the phone. "County General."

            Luka went into the lounge and collapsed on the sofa. So it was out. Everyone knew. Would they treat him differently? Did they think he was guilty?

            He wanted to go up and see Abby, but her room was probably swarming with people. Well, he would go ahead and go now, before him shift started. He got her room number, then headed upstairs. 

            When he got to her room, he saw that Carter, Chuny, Lily, and Connie were already crowded into Abby's room. This was going to be awkward. But he had to see her; he had to apologize for letting this happen. 

            Carter looked up, and he saw Luka standing outside. He said something, and the three nurses also looked up. He couldn't read the expressions on their faces, but they didn't look happy. His heart quickened. Was everything alright? Had something bad happened to Abby?

            Carter met him at the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice sounded almost hostile.

            "I need to talk to Abby," Luka said, his voice urgent.

            "I think it's probably best if you don't," Carter said, making no attempt to step out of the way.

            Luka was at a loss for words. "Wha-what are you talking about? I just want to talk to her. I didn't do anything!" How many times had he said that phrase today? Why was it that no one believed him?

            "Luka, maybe you should just go," Lily said softly, joining Carter at the door. "Abby's been through a lot. She doesn't need any more stress right now."

            Chuny came to stand with them, and their message was quite obvious. They didn't want him here. "I can't believe this. You guys are supposed to be my friends! I didn't do this, there's not any proof that I did this. Why is everyone so eager to believe that I'm guilty?"

            "They didn't tell you about the second witness?" Carter's eyes were cool, accusing. 

            "What second witness?" Luka said, his heart sinking,. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be good news.

            "A second witness came forward. He claims that he saw a man fitting your description attacking Abby, but he was afraid to go to the police before."

            Luka was horrified. Why was all this evidence stacking up against him? "But I...I didn't do it. You have to believe me. This is some kind of mistake." 

            "I think you should go Luka," Chuny said. She, Lily, and Carter continued to stand there, blocking the door. 

            Luka lowered his head. Why was it that no one believed him? He had to talk to the police, convince them to keep looking for other suspects.

            But until then, there was nothing he could do to convince his co-workers that he was innocent. Head bowed in shame, Luka slowly walked away from the wall of so-called friends keeping him from seeing Abby.

______________________________________________________

            "Has Luka come by yet?"

            There was something strange about the way Carter, Lily, and Chuny looked at each other. Abby immediately knew something was up. "What? What's wrong?"

            Lily and Chuny began to slowly move towards the door, so perfectly in time that Abby wondered if they had rehearsed it. After they were gone, Carter said, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." He cleared his throat. "Luka is now the police's number one suspect. Another eyewitness came forward and said he saw a man that looked like Luka attacking you."

            Abby was floored. "Did they arrest him?" 

            "Not yet. They're planning to."  

            "I just...I can't believe this. I never would have thought that Luka would do something like this."

            Carter was silent for a moment. "Do you still think he's innocent?"

            Abby thought about that. She thought he might be innocent. What was she basing this on? The fact that Luka was a nice guy, that he cared about her? That didn't mean he couldn't hurt her. Did she really trust his word enough to believe that he couldn't do something like this?

            Abby didn't want to believe that he had done this, but what other explanation was there? Now _two people had come forward and said that they had seen him attack her. And she couldn't remember what had happened, so she had to take someone else's word for it._

            But before she made up her mind, she wanted to get Luka's version straight from the source. Maybe if she talked to him face to face, she would know whether he was lying or not.

            "I want to talk to him," she said finally.

            Carter gulped. Maybe they hadn't made the best decision in forcing him to leave. "Um, he came by here, but he...left."

            "Could you call him, tell him I want to talk to him?" Abby asked. What could Carter say but yes?


	5. Under Arrest

Chapter 5

            "Abby wants to see you."

            Luka could hear the anger in his voice. Carter obviously did not want to make this call. But he was doing it for Abby. Because he loved her.

            What was it between Carter and Abby? Luka didn't know, but he didn't like it when any man was that friendly with his girlfriend. Sometimes it seemed like she wanted to be with Carter more than she wanted to be with him. Lately, it seemed like that most of the time.

            What did Abby want? Carter said she didn't remember any of what had happened that night; did she want to ask him what he saw? As he was headed out the door, he was hit with a sudden revelation. Abby didn't remember that night. Which meant she didn't remember that they had broken up. So she wouldn't be mad like she was the last time he had spoken to her.

            Grabbing his coat, he headed for the door.

____________________________________________________________

            "Hi, Abby."

            He could almost _feel Carter lurking outside the door, waiting for him to do something evil so he could come pouncing back in, demanding that Luka leave. But this visit wasn't about Carter, it was about Abby, and he had every intention of ignoring Carter's presence._

            He wanted to take Abby in his arms, apologize for everything he had done, and ask her for another chance. But this was neither the time nor the place for that. "How are you doing?"

            "Okay. My head's still killing me, thought," Abby said and Luka felt a wave of guilt. Why hadn't he walked her home? He could have kept all of this from happening.

            "Abby, I'm so sorry about all this. I should have walked home with you," Luka began. 

            "Luka, what happened that night?" Abby asked, interrupting his prepared monologue.

            Luka took a deep breath. How much should he tell her? "Well, we went out to dinner, and...we took the El home...we started fighting, yelling at each other. I followed you off the El; we were still arguing. Then...I left. I walked away, got back on the El, and went home, and I didn't know what had happened until Carter called me from the hospital to tell me you had been injured."

            "What were we arguing about?" Abby wanted to know everything. Maybe that would help her to get her memory back.

            Luka had been dreading this point in the conversation, but he knew it was coming. He didn't want to tell her the truth, but if he didn't, if she remembered later she would wonder why he hadn't told her. So he opted for a condensed version. "We had gone to the diner and you wanted to go home and so you went to wait outside, and I stayed inside at the bar," Luka said, rushing to get the whole story out, hoping she wouldn't press him for any more details. He didn't want to tell her about the names they had called each other, the hiss of their angry whispers as they rode on the El, wanting to argue but not wanting the other passengers to hear them having a fight. He didn't want to tell her how he had said he didn't want her anymore.

            "I waited outside? Wow, I must have been pretty pissed at you," Abby joked, trying to lighten the mood. Luka smiled, but he felt an unexplainable sadness. Would she still be joking if she remembered what he had said to her that night, how he had broken up with her? He didn't think so. It was like the slate had been wiped clean. He had been given a fresh start; what was he going to do with it?

            He would try to keep the mood light, just like Abby had. "Yeah, you were. But I acted like a jerk; I'm sorry about that."

            "It's okay," Abby said, though she felt strange accepting an apology for an event that she couldn't even remember. "So what else happened?" 

            "That was pretty much it," Luka said, hoping she wouldn't press him for details.

            "The cops think you did it," Abby said, ending the  brief period of levity.

            Luka looked her eye to eye. this was the most important part; he _had_ to convince Abby that he was innocent. It seemed like she was the only one who believed he just might not be guilty. "Abby, I would _never hurt you; I hope you know that. I was upset that night, but I would never let my emotions get that out of hand."_

            Abby nodded. "Okay," she said. What did the expression on her face mean? He wasn't quite sure.

            Before he could think on the subject any further, two cops burst into the room interrupted him. "Luka Kovac?" Then, without even giving him a chance to identify himself, the first one said, "We have a warrant for your arrest." They moved towards him.     

            Luka's eyes widened in fear. He backed away from the men slowly, trying to avoid the inevitable. This couldn't be happening; he was innocent! "Abby! Say something! Tell them I didn't do it!" Then, "Abby?"

            Abby's eyes were closed.

            "Abby!" Carter yelled, running back into the room. After taking a quick look at her, he hit the nurse's call button.

            "Is she okay?" Luka asked as he was being dragged out the door. But by the time Carter answered, he was already gone.

_______________________________________________________

            When Abby woke up, she saw two familiar faces. One was Carter, the other was Dr. Brent, her neurologist. "Abby, you're awake," said Dr. Brent, stating the obvious.

            "What happened?" Abby asked groggily.

            "You passed out. It's probably a side effect of your head injury. We did a head CT, and it looks like there may be some permanent damage."

            Abby was still slightly disoriented, but she got the gist of Dr. Brent's statement. "You mean permanent brain damage?"

            "We're not sure yet. We have to give you a couple more days, to allow the swelling to go down, then we can run some tests."

            Abby closed her eyes and laid her head back on her pillow. this couldn't be happening. What if she was permanently disabled because of her attack?

            Abby suddenly remembered that, before she passed out, there had been another person in the room. "Where's Luka?" she asked Carter, not opening her eyes.

            "He got arrested," Carter informed her.

            Abby's eyes flew open. "_What? When? Why?" She realized that she was asking entirely too many questions, but she felt like she had to know everything._

            "I would assume right after you passed out, though I guess maybe Luka was just in here with you unconscious and he didn't notice." Abby could hear the anger in his voice. "The eyewitnesses both signed statements, and evidently that was enough for the police. Two cops came in here and took him out."

            "But he attacked _me! Don't they have to ask me  before they arrest him?"_

            Abby realized what she had just said. It was a slip of the tongue, but was it a Freudian slip? Did she really believe in Luka's innocence anymore?

            As if he was reading her thoughts, Carter asked, "Do you still think he's innocent?"

            "I really don't know. When I asked him what happened that night, something just...didn't seem right about his story. It seemed like he was hiding something from me. I would hate to think he'd do something like this, but could two witnesses be wrong?"

            "Are you going to drop charges against him?"

            "I don't know," Abby admitted. "I have to find out what happened that night before I decide anything. I_ have to get my memory back."_

_________________________________________________________

            Carter didn't like the idea, but Abby had insisted. "Maybe it'll jog my memory. Aren't you interested in finding out what _really _happened that night?" So Carter found himself pushing Abby's wheelchair down 75th Street, trying to find the spot where she had been attacked.

            It didn't take long.

            "Think that's it?" Carter asked, gesturing to a part of the sidewalk that was sectioned off with police tape.

            "I guess so. I _would be walking by here if I came home by the El." Abby concentrated hard on the patch of sidewalk, as if it was going to form a mouth and tell her what had happened that night._

            "Remember anything?" Carter asked after a few minutes silence.

            Abby sighed. "No," she admitted. "Can we go back up towards the El? Maybe I'll remember something there."

            "Sure," Carter said, wheeling her up the street. Abby felt stupid in the wheelchair, but the doctor had insisted, saying she didn't have all her strength back yet. Besides, she face was covered in bruises and she had gauze wrapped around her head; she couldn't get much stupider.

            Both Carter and Abby were silent as Carter pusher her up the street, then back down. Abby's focus was intense; she knew how important it was that she remember what had happened.

            "Did you say something?" Carter asked.

            "I said I can't remember anything. This isn't helping." With a defeated sigh, she said, "Let's just go back to the hospital."

            As Carter wheeled Abby back to the car, he wondered: if this wouldn't help her remember what had happened that night, what would?


	6. Going Home

Chapter 6

            When Luka walked into the ER, he was greeted with silence. Hostile silence.

            All the conversations that had been in progress stopped when they saw him. Even the patients seemed to know that something was wrong, and for a few moments they stopped their whining about slow treatment and focused in on him. 

            "What is he doing here?" he heard someone whisper, but when he turned his head towards the voice, everyone was suddenly busy, rearranging supplies, not meeting his gaze. _Does everyone think I'm guilty? he thought despairingly._

            He had just gotten his stethoscope out of his locker when Weaver approached him. "Doctor Kovac, I didn't expect to see you back here." Her voice dropped an octave. "The police told me that you had been arrested."

            "I got out on bail," Luka said. He tried not to think about the fact that he couldn't find a single person who would come and bail him out, and in the end he had gotten his public defender to get the bail money out of his account. But at least, for now, he was free. And he was going to do whatever he could to find the person who had attacked Abby.

            For now, work was probably the only thing that could take his mind off the fact that all his coworkers thought he had attacked Abby. At least the patients wouldn't think he was guilty.

            "I didn't think you were going to be here, so I got someone else to cover your shifts."

            "Well, I'm here now," Luka said, pulling on his lab coat. He was about to clock in, but Weaver's hand stopped him. 

            "Luka, we need to talk."

            "About what?" Luka asked, fearing that he already knew what.

            Weaver looked up at him, her gaze unwavering. "I think that, maybe until this thing is over, you should take some time off."

            Luka's face fell in disappointment. "Kerry, I didn't _do _this. Don't punish me for something I didn't do," he pleaded.

            "I never said you did it, Luka, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to be working here while these charges are still hanging over your head." She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about this. As soon as the charges are dropped, you can come back."

            Luka leaned up against his locker. The day had just begun, but he was already exhausted. 

            So this was it. He had lost his job, his friends, and now, he might even be going to jail for a crime he didn't commit.

            His friends. What a joke. These people weren't his friends. They didn't even like him. The second there was any evidence that he might be guilty, they had all turned on him.

            But could he really blame them? He had never made any effort to get to know them. True, he wasn't exactly an outgoing person anymore, but he never really made any effort to make friends with these people. When he first got to County, he had turned down offers to go for drinks or lunch until people had stopped offering. He had made in clear that he didn't want to get close to anyone who worked at County.

            Except for Abby. Something about her had intrigued him, made him want to know more about her. When they first started dating, he thought that he had found himself a true friend.

            But somehow, in didn't work out. They never got around to the telling-each-other-secrets, being-best-friends stage. As much as he hated to admit it, he had never really made a lot of effort to get to know Abby either. She had just been someone to keep the other side of the bed warm, someone to keep him from being alone.

            He had shut her out, but that was because it had become a routine for him. Never tell anyone something about you they don't need to know, that had been his philosophy. But he had assumed that, once he and Abby had started dating, they would just automatically move past that stage, grow comfortable with each other, be able to really _talk to each other. But that had never happened. And now, _Abby's_ friends, the people at County General, were rallying around her while he was left out in the cold._

            Well, he should have expected this. When you don't let people get to know you, what reason do they have to trust you?

            But now, as he stood on the outside looking in, he wished he had someone, anyone, who believed in him. Someone who didn't think he was guilty, for the simple reason that they knew he would never do anything like that. But that was impossible; no one knew him like that. Not even Abby. He was the only one who knew what kind of person he was. He was innocent, but no one else believed him.

_________________________________________________________

            "It might be permanent."

            "It might not be," Carter countered, but he knew Abby had to be depressed by the neurologist's news. It had been three days since her attack, yet she was still having neurological side effects. Yesterday she had been too dizzy to get out of bed, and her doctor was not wild about the idea of letting her go home.

            "I might be like this for the rest of my life," Abby said, her hands resting in her head.

            "Is your head still bothering you?" Carter asked.

            "Of course," Abby said. "I'm gonna have a headache for the rest of my life," she moaned, depressed. Could things get any worse? First, the boyfriend who she thought loved her had apparently attacked her, and now, it looked like she might be permanently brain damaged. True, the neurologist said it was too soon to tell, but Abby was already imagining what her life would be like if she stayed like this forever. Would she be able to keep her job at County? Probably not; she couldn't be passing out in the middle of traumas. So what would she do? Go and live with Maggie? She knew her coworkers were concerned about her well-being, but she was sure that concern stopped short of the you-can-move-in-with-me-and-I'll-take-care-of-you mark. So what was she going to do?

            "Don't give up yet, Abby," Carter encouraged her, breaking into her short and miserable daydream.. "Just give it some time."

            "I just want to go home," Abby said quietly. "Is that too much to ask?" Carter wasn't sure how to respond to that.

            Just then, Dr. Jennings walked in. "Hello Abby, Carter," said Jennings, who knew both of them from work.

            "When can I get out of here?" Abby asked wearily, as if she was already resigned to her fate.

            "Actually, I have some good news about that. Your tests are looking better, so this might not be as serious as we originally thought."

            "So it's not permanent?" Abby asked quickly.

            "We can't be sure yet, but it looks good."

            "When can I go home?" Abby asked. She had spent more than enough time at County; now, all she wanted to do was go home and sleep in her own bed.

            "Actually, you're in fairly good condition, good enough to go home. But I'm concerned about the symptoms you've been having-"

            "They've decreased significantly over the past day," Abby said, trying to sound sincere despite the fact that she was lying. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

            Dr. Jennings looked dubious. "Well, Dr. Brent gave me your CTs from yesterday, and it looks like the swelling in your brain has gone down considerably. I'm prepared to discharge you today, but you will have to be on partial bed rest, and I want you to come back in three days for a check-up. Okay?" Abby readily agreed.

            After Jennings left, Abby ran around the room gathering her things, humming happily and ignoring Carter's gaze. Finally, she turned to him and said, "What?"

            "You lied to him." Carter stated this as fact.

            "I had to. I'll be okay. If I start having anymore symptoms, I'll turn myself in," Abby promised, holding up three fingers in a pledge of scout's honor.

            "What if you fall down a fight of stairs and bleed to death? It'll be kind of late to turn yourself in then."

            The smile slid off Abby's face, and she turned to look at him. "C'mon, Carter, I just wanna get out of this place. I'll take it easy and everything, but I can't stand another day in this place. I'll be okay," she promised him.

            "You don't know that," Carter said solemnly. "I'm serious, Abby, this could be dangerous. You can't just be out and about after a serious head injury like this." Carter thought for a moment. "Why don't you come and stay with me?" he suggested.

            Abby shook her head. "No, it's okay, I'll be fine."

            "You don't know that," Carter pointed out. "Look, if your staying with me, then if, God forbid, something bad happens, you won't be alone," Carter said sincerely. "It's not safe for you to be alone right now."

            Abby sighed. "You're probably right," she agreed, not because she wanted to stay with him, but she was suddenly so tired that she just wanted this discussion to be over so she could lay down. She crawled back into the bed and pulled the sheet up to her chin. 

            "You sure you feel good enough to be leaving the hospital?" Carter asked.

            Abby nodded firmly. "I'm ready to get out of here."


	7. Carter's Place

**A/N: As you all know (or maybe you don't), I am a carby, and my stories tend to be just like me. But I was chatting with Emily, a fellow carby last night and she suggested that I do the unthinkable: make this story all lubyish. Of course, I immediately refused, but then she turned it into a challenge, so what choice did I have? The results are entirely Emily's fault; feel free to blame her if you don't enjoy the ending. Stay tuned for further updates… ~Taz**

Chapter 7

            Luka stood by the river, absently pitching rocks into the water. He could hear the plopping of the rocks as they hit the waiter, but his mind was on other things. Like how to clear his name.

            The evidence seemed insurmountable. Two eye witnesses, and Abby with no memory. If Abby could just somehow remember what had happened, things would be better. She would be able to tell them that he was innocent.

            Why was everything going wrong for him? He hadn't thought of it much that night, but what if he _had gone back outside, apologized to Abby, and walked her home? Then none of this would have happened. _

            Or ever if he hadn't left the El. The first witness said she saw he and Abby arguing, and she probably had. She wouldn't have seen anything if he hadn't felt the need to follow her, telling her why he was right and she wasn't. It made his head hurt just thinking of the trouble that had been caused by his stupid mistakes. And now Abby was paying for them. The doctor said she might have permanent brain damage.

            Well, he was paying for his mistakes too. If Abby didn't get her memory back, he might end up in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Was there anything he could do to help Abby remember?

            Or maybe she didn't need to remember. Maybe he could just convince her of his innocence and get her to drop the charges. After all, she had been dating him for months; she had to trust him to some extent, didn't she? At least more than everyone else in the ER did. 

            Abby was the only one who had any doubts about his guilt. She was also the one who held the keys to his freedom in her hands. He _had_ to talk to her again, either to help her remember or to convince her of his innocence. She was his only hope.

            But getting in to see her wouldn't be easy. She probably still had a swarm of people in her room who would do everything they could to keep him from seeing her. He had to come up with a plan.

________________________________________________________

            "You hungry?"

            Abby shook her head. "No, just tired." She yawned. "What time is it?"

            Carter checked his watch. "It is...8:30. Yeah, I'd say it's about time for bed," he joked.

            Abby rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm tired. I guess no one told my body that's it's not supposed to be sleepy until after 11." She stood up from the couch, then abruptly sat back down.

            "Still dizzy?" Carter asked her. 

            Abby nodded and closed her eyes, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "It'll pass," she reassured him.

            "I hope so," he said, but she heard the worry in his voice. "You just want to sleep down here? I can get you a blanket."

            Abby nodded. "Thanks," she said, trying to ignore the fact that she felt like the sofa was tilting sideways, threatening to throw her off. "And could you bring me some aspirin?"

            "Sure," she heard Carter yell from upstairs just as a phone started ringing.

            Carter was confused. Where was that ringing noise coming from? He ran into Abby's room and noticed that it was getting louder. Abby's cell phone! It must be in here somewhere...

            Feeling kind of odd rifling through Abby's things, he finally located the phone and pushed the talk button. "Hello?" he said, out of breath.

            Dead silence greeted him.

            "Hello?" he repeated.

            The sound of the phone hanging up resounded in his ear.

            _Hmm, that was strange,_ Carter thought as he headed down the stairs with Abby's blanket.

______________________________________________________________

            Luka slammed the phone back on its base. _Carter_ had answered Abby's phone. So it looked like there wasn't any way for him to contact her. 

            He had learned from a friendly nurse at the hospital that she had been discharged today, but she hadn't been at her house. But she was with _Carter? _Was she staying at his house?

            Luka had to talk to her. But he didn't know how he could, if she was at Carter's. He couldn't see Carter opening the door of his home to welcome Luka in. But he had to try.

            He checked the clock. It was after 11. Well, justice would have to wait until tomorrow.

_________________________________________________________________

            "How're you feeling?"

            "Like I slept on a couch," Abby grumbled, slowly lifting herself from the cushions. Her joints creaked in protest.

            "Any more symptoms?" Carter asked sympathetically, putting a hand under her arm to help her off the couch.

            "Yeah, arthritis."

            "I don't think head injuries can cause that." He folded up Abby's blanket and placed it on the sofa. "You want some breakfast? I made pancakes."

            "Sounds good," Abby agreed. They were headed for the kitchen when they heard a knock at the door.

            "I'll get it. Be right back. Don't start without me," he said as he headed for the door.

            Pulling it open, he discovered none other than Luka standing at his door.

            "What do you want?" Carter asked, his voice hostile.

            "I need to talk to Abby. Please," he said, looking past Carter into the house as if he might catch a glimpse of Abby.

            "I think you should go," Carter said, starting to close the door in his face.

            "No! Wait, please," Luka said, sticking his foot in the door. "I know you think I'm guilty, and I know you don't think I have any right to talk to Abby. But I'm innocent. I didn't do this, and Abby is the only one who can help me."

            "Carter? Who is it?" Abby asked, and Carter realized that she had followed him out of the kitchen.

            "Abby! I need to talk to you. Just for a minute, please." His voice was urgent.

            "Luka? What are you doing here?" Abby looked tired, disheveled. Luka felt a wave of sadness and longing come over him as he looked at her. She looked so weary, like she had been up all night. Luka wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms. But obviously, this was neither the time nor the place for that.

            He hadn't appreciated her while he had her. Now, she was staying at Carter's house, probably sleeping in Carter's bed. He may have lost her forever. But all he wanted now was to be able to talk to her, try to get her to believe in his innocence.

            "Abby, go back inside, I can handle this," Carter said, his voice softer now that he was talking to her. Luka felt like screaming in frustration. Why wouldn't they just listen to him?

            Abby's entire body froze, and for a moment she stood there, looking at Luka as if she had never seen him before. "Abby? What's wrong?" Carter asked urgently.

            _"Carter can have you."_

            Abby turned towards Luka, a stunned look on her face. "You broke up with me. That night, you broke up with me on the way home." She looked at Luka like she had never seen him before. "Why didn't you tell me?"

            Luka looked down. "I didn't want to hurt you," he explained, but the explanation sounded lame even to his own ears. Why _hadn't_ he told Abby? It seemed so simple now.

            "I think you need to leave," Carter said angrily, shutting the door in his face. But to his surprise, it was Abby who stopped the door this time. 

            "Carter, wait. I want to see what else Luka hasn't told me," she said. Her face still had a trancelike quality to it, as if she thought this was all a dream.

            Carter simply didn't understand. "But Abby, you already know that he's lied to you. What reason do you have to trust him?"

            "Just give us a minute, okay? I want to talk to him." Seeing the look on his face, she said, "Carter, it's okay, really. We'll be right out here on the porch." Obviously reluctant, Carter went back inside the house, but Luka could feel his presence, lurking just inside the door.

            "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Abby. But everything happened so fast, and before I knew it I had told one story to the cops and another to you." Luka realized how his words must sound, so he quickly moved to correct them. "I was just trying to protect you. I knew you had been through a lot; I just didn't want to hurt you anymore." Luka hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How much do you remember?"

            Abby shook her head. "I think you've asked enough questions. It's my turn. Tell me everything that happened that night."

            Luka took a deep breath. It was time to come clean.

            He winced as he relived talking to the waitress, forgetting about her waiting outside while he sat at the bar and talked to a stranger. He hated seeing the hurt look on Abby's face. _This was why he hadn't wanted to tell her._

            "And then I said, 'Carter can have you'." Both looked down, as if they were simultaneously ashamed of his words.

            "And then what happened?" Abby asked, holding her breath. This was the important part.

            "Then you said, 'Oh,' and you walked away." Luka was silent for a moment. "I hated seeing you leave like that, knowing I had hurt you. I wanted to come after you, but I knew I couldn't take those words back. So I just...went home."

            "That's all?"

            "I walked back to the El, got on, got off at my stop, and went home and went to bed. That's all."

            "Okay," Abby said, her expression unreadable.

            "Do you believe me?" Luka asked. At that moment, he looked almost desperate, and Abby felt a fleeting moment of sympathy for his. But why hadn't he come clean in the first place? "I want to believe you, Luka, I really do. But you didn't even tell me that we broke up; how am I supposed to trust you now?"

            "I guess I can't expect you to," Luka said sadly. "But just do this one thing for me: keep an open mind. Don't assume I'm guilty just because everyone else thinks so."

            Abby nodded. "Okay," she said quietly.

            "Thank you." Luka looked at the window. He could see Carter's face in the glass; Carter wasn't even pretending to hide himself. "I better go; I don't belong here. I'll do everything I can to prove my innocence, but until then, just keep an open mind." He took Abby's hand in his and squeezed it gently, then he was gone.

            Abby stood for a moment, looking at his back as he retreated down the road. He sure didn't _act like a guilty man. But why hadn't he told her what really happened? That was the only thing that was keeping her from believing fully in his innocence. If he had nothing to hide, then why had he hidden the truth?_


	8. What Really Happened

Chapter 8

            "What do you remember?"

            "We were walking down seventy-fifth, and he said, 'Carter can have you'. That's all I remember." Abby didn't even think about who she was telling this to.

            It was just a wisp of a memory. She had turned towards Luka, and he had said, "Carter can have you," and then...what had happened next? What had happened before that? And_ why couldn't she remember it?_

            "Did he tell you what else happened?" Carter asked.

            Abby nodded. "And I know it doesn't make any sense, but I believe him. He just seemed sincere this time. I really felt like he was telling the truth."

            "So what are you gonna do?"

            Abby shrugged. "I really don't know. I mean, I don't _think_ he did it, but I don't have any reason to, except for the fact that it doesn't sound like him. Should I drop the charges just on the basis of that?"

            "I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. If you want my opinion, yes, you should press charges. You've been dating Luka for a year, so of course you want to believe in his innocence. But let's face it, all the evidence is pointing to him. There are _two eyewitnesses, he lied to the police, AND he lied to you. Doesn't that tell you something?"_

            "I guess you're right," Abby said reluctantly. All the evidence was pointing to Luka; why should she believe he wasn't guilty?

________________________________________________________

            "It's fifty cents, mister."

            Luka rifled through his pockets and discovered a hole in the bottom of it. "Nevermind," he said with a sigh as he placed the paper back on the newsstand. Could anything else go wrong today?

            Well, at least he was still free. He would be standing trial soon for the attack on Abby, and he had a feeling that after that, freedom would be a thing of the past.

            Abby sighed as she walked through the park, absently kicking a can down the path. Her head hurt, and she was still lightheaded, but she _had_ to get out of the house.            

            She needed to think. Did she believe Luka's story, or was he lying to her once more?

            She was concentrating so hard on Luka that when she saw him walking across the park, she thought it was her imagination. But then she realized that he was really there, and that apparently, he didn't see her. 

            "Luka!" she called out.

            _"I was trying to have fun, is that a crime?"_

_            "Why don't you just call me a whore and get it over with?"_

_            "You're not that pretty, you're not that special."_

_            "At least I'm not married to a ghost."_

_            "I put up with a lot, Abby."_

_            "Why don't you just break up with me?"_

_            "I'm done, I'm done, okay? Carter can have you."  _

_            "Abby, are you okay?" Luka asked, shaking her gently. Abby was standing stock still, a shocked expression on her face._

            "I remember," she said, slightly dazed. "I remember what happened."

            It was like a bucket of memories had just been dumped on her head. One minute she knew nothing, the next she knew everything. All the information came crashing in on her, and it was like having old wounds opened. She remembered the sting of Luka's words; she cringed when she thought of the things they had said to each other.

            Luka was almost as shocked as she was. "You...remember? Everything?"

            Abby nodded. "Everything," she said. She felt awkward now. To him, the words of last week had probably already been forgotten; but to her, she was living them all over again. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she said quietly. "I just didn't know-"

            "It's alright, Abby," Luka said. "You had no reason to if you couldn't remember."

            "I should have believed you," she said, clasping her hands in front of her. How had she ever thought that Luka could arrack her like that? Sure, he had yelled, and called her names, but he would never hit her over the head with something just because he was mad.

            "We have to go to the police," she said, grabbing his arm, dragging him towards the El. She had no idea where the nearest police station was, but she knew how to get to the one by her apartment.

            Luka was relieved. So the truth was finally going to come out. He felt relief like he hadn't in years. Maybe these weren't the last of his free days.

            "Everyone thinks you're guilty. We have to tell them you didn't do it," Abby said quickly, pulling him up the stairs of the platform. Luka felt relief like he hadn't in years. He finally had an ally; finally, someone who believed him. Really, she was the only one who mattered.

            Abby ran up the stairs and he was right behind her. He felt almost giddy; for the first time in a long time, things were going right in his life. Abby could tell the police what had really happened, and the charges would be dropped.

            Luka was so eager to get to the police station, he got to the top of the stairs ahead of Abby. She was still several steps behind, and as she put her foot on the next step, the dizziness that she had been battling for days came over her again, and she swayed, then leaned backward, her eyes closing momentarily. Luka tried to grab her, to reach out and catch her before she fell, but he was too far, and she was just beyond his grasp.

             Abby fell backwards, plunging down all 36 stairs. When she finally got to the bottom, she simply laid there motionless, and Luka knew that this was the worst thing that could have happened.__


	9. Solidarity

Chapter 9

Once again, she was brought to County.

Carter was coming back from Doc Magoo's. He was carrying the half of a hamburger that he hadn't gotten to finish on his fifteen minute break.

He entered the ER and immediately knew something was wrong. "What happened?" he asked Lily, who was standing at the admit desk.

"It's Abby," Lily said, and his heart dropped. "Luka brought her in. She fell down a flight of stairs."

Carter didn't need Lily to tell him where Abby was; he could see the crowd of people gathered around the doors of Trauma 2. He was furious to see that Luka was among the crowd.

"Was is _he_ doing he?" he asked angrily.

"I brought Abby in. We were getting on the El and she fell down the stairs." Luka sounded almost apologetic.

"I'm sure she did. And by any chance, was the cause of this fall two hands applied to her back?" He turned away from Luka. "Somebody call the police." When no one responded fast enough for him, he said, "That's okay; _I'll_ call them." And he stormed off in the direction of the phone.

___________________________________________________________

Luka had tried to stop the bleeding. He had called an ambulance. He had done everything he could.

The ambulance workers were friendly, sympathetic. He knew they were the last friendly faces he would see in a long time.

He tried to get them to take her to Mercy, but they wouldn't. Mercy is too far away, and we're only a couple of minutes from County, they explained to him. He hadn't told him that he was a doctor at County; then they would have wondered why he was so reluctant to go there.

When he got there, Malucci and Chuny were waiting for the ambulance. He saw their faces change from casual interest to distrust when they saw who emerged from the ambulance, then to downright hostility when he told them what had happened. They told him to leave, but he came back as soon as they got her in the trauma room.

Slowly, the news spread around the ER. Everyone who wasn't working on a patient came to the doors of Trauma 2, and they all looked like they thought he had no right to be there.

There was an invisible wall around him, like he had a disease. All the other people stood on the left side of the doors, while he stood on the right. They didn't want him here. Abby was their friend, and he was not. It was as simple as that.

_I'm so sorry, Abby,_ he thought to himself, and almost said it aloud. But if he had, he would have looked _really_ guilty; what did he have to apologize for?

_I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry you got hurt again. I'm sorry I was in too much of a hurry to help you. I'm sorry I let you down. _

"What is _he_ doing here?"

Carter's words exemplified what everyone was feeling. He didn't belong here; no one wanted him here.

"I brought Abby in. We were getting on the El and she fell down the stairs." He knew that none of them believed him. They all thought he had done this to Abby. _How could they think I would do something like this?_ he asked himself.

"I'm sure she did. And by any chance, was the cause of this fall two hands applied to her back?" 

Luka could tell that they all agreed with Carter. They _all_ thought he was an out of control abuser. There was nothing he could say to change that.

"Somebody call the police." Carter paused for a moment, then said, "That's okay; _I'll_ call them." 

As Carter walked off, they all turned to look at him. It was obvious what they were all thinking. They all hated him, and they didn't want him anywhere near Abby.

He wanted to see if Abby was okay, but in a few minutes the police would probably be here, ready to haul him back to jail. He would just have to call back later. He could feel their hostile glares on his back as he walked away.

_____________________________________________________

"He needs to go."

He can't keep hurting her like this."

"Someone has to do something."

"What if she doesn't make it?"

The voices of all the people gathered in Abby's room blended to make a quiet murmuring, and one voice could barely be distinguished from the next. But one thing was clear: they were all against Luka.

"I never would have thought he was like that."

"We can let him do this again."

"He could have killed her."

"What if he did?"

They all felt guilty, like they had somehow let their friend down by not protecting her from Evil Luka. There was no doubt in any of their minds now; he was guilty.

"They'll probably arrest him."

"What if they don't?"

"There's no proof."

"But we know he did it."

They had to do something. Luka couldn't go free after he had committed this horrible crime.

"What if there was an eyewitness?"

"But there wasn't."

"There could be."

They all turned to look at Carter, shocked by his words. "What do you mean?" Haleh asked, but they all knew what he meant.

"Abby is in a coma. She might never wake up, and it's all because of him. We can't let him go free after this."

Haleh's eyebrows rose. "What do you propose we do?" she asked.

Carter turned his attention to three of the people in the room. "The first tip the cops got was anonymous. Maybe another anonymous tip will be enough to make them arrest him."

Now they were all looking at him like he was crazy. Chuny was the first to speak. "Carter, you could lose your license for that. You could go to _jail_."

Carter nodded. The expression on his face was serious. "I'm not suggesting anything crazy. If Abby wakes up; fine, she can tell the cops herself. But if she doesn't...then someone has to defend her. We've let Luka hurt her for long enough. Are you guys with me on this?" He stared at them.

As Abby's heart monitor beeped, they all turned to look at Carter, and slowly, one at a time, each of them nodded their heads.


	10. I'm Sorry

Chapter 10

Luka slammed the items into the suitcase one by one. It was packed to capacity; it wasn't going to close. He smashed down the lid of the suitcase, but to no avail.

Luka sat down on the bed in frustration. There was no point to this; it wasn't like he could leave. That would make him look like even more of a criminal. Everyone already thought he was guilty; fleeing the scene of the crime wouldn't make things any better.

He just wanted to be out of this whole situation. It seemed like everyone he thought he could count on had turned on him, sided with Abby and against him. Why couldn't they understand that they could be on _both_ of their sides?

Abby had gotten her memory back. She was probably the only person in Chicago, besides him, who knew that he wasn't guilty. But she was in a coma, again, and it was because of his carelessness.

Why hadn't he walked behind her? He had been so eager, ready for everyone to see his innocence, that he had almost forgotten about Abby. At least, until she fell.

What if she didn't make it? What would he do? What would be done to him? He didn't think he would be able to live with the guilt if he had caused Abby's death. 

Luka heard a knock at the door. He turned, wary of whatever was waiting for him on the other side.

It was the police.

His head hung. What else could they be here for? He opened the door, surrendering himself to his fate.

_____________________________________________________

They had come to question him. Again. The same questions, the same answers. It was as if they thought asking him enough would make his answers change.

Finally, after three hours, they had released him, but warned him not to leave the area. The first thing he did when he got home was call the hospital and ask about Abby.

There was no change.

Luka closed his eyes, tried to block out the feelings of despair. The walls were closing in on him. His whole life was falling apart. 

Hand shaking, he hung up the phone. Then, after a moment's thought, he grabbed the coat he had just taken off. He was going to the hospital. He was going to say goodbye.

_____________________________________________________

For the first time in days, Abby was alone.

He slipped into her room. She was breathing deeply, steadily. He took her hands in his.

"Abby," he said. His voice was raw with sadness. He thought of how much he loved her. And how, because of him, she might be gone forever.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered hoarsely. "You know I would never hurt you. Everyone believes what they want to believe. They shut me out because I made myself a stranger, and then when I needed someone to be on my side, no one was there. I don't blame you for this, Abby. It's my fault."

He exhaled deeply. "When we first started dating, I thought things would be different with you. I thought you would finally be...someone to take Danjela's place." He looked down. "But no one ever can. My relationship with you was just like the relationships i had with so many other people: impersonal, superficial.

I wish I had gotten to know you better. I wish I had really cared about you." He let out a humorless laugh. "I talk like it's already over. But it is, for me at least. I know that, even if you wake up and tell everyone the truth, things will never be the same here.

"I love you, Abby. For a long time, you've been the only good thing in my life. I'm sorry you were hurt like this. I feel like this is all my fault."

"Maybe that's because it is."

Luka's turned to see Carter, eyes flashing with anger, standing in the doorway. 

He held up his hands, almost in surrender. "I don't want any trouble. I just-"

"Then get out."

Carter's harsh words were like a slap in the face. But really, what basis did Carter had for believing in his innocence?

"I'm leaving. I just came to say goodbye."

He wondered if Carter would ask where he was going. He did not. "Just leave, before you hurt Abby again."

"I know you don't believe me, but I had nothing to do with thi-"

"Save it, okay? Just save it. There is nothing you can say right now that could convince me that you didn't hurt her."

"Abby will tell you. Someday soon, she'll wake up and tell you. Until then, there's nothing I can say."

Carter was infuriated by Luka's calm. After all, Luka was the one who had attacked Abby, and now he expected to just apologize and make everything better. "Leave, before I call security," Carter said through gritted teeth.

But Luka was already leaving.

_____________________________________________________

Abby was touched by Luka's words.

She wanted to reach out, touch him, hold him, assure him that everything would be alright. But she couldn't. She was stuck in her silent prison.

And then Carter came. She knew Carter was trying to protect her, and that he was only angry because he didn't know the truth. She wished she could tell him, so he would stop yelling at Luka. Though her eyes were closed, she could almost _feel_ Luka shrinking away from Carter's harsh words.

And Luka left.

Carter sat by her bed and talked to her. For hours. She wondered: had he taken time off so he could sit by her bedside for hours at a time? Was he losing money for her right now?

When she finally saw his face, she thought it was just another dream. 

"Abby!" he said, eyes flying open in shock. He slammed the nurse's call button. "You're awake!"

And Abby, mind suddenly cloudy, could only nod. It wasn't a dream. She was awake, for the first time in days.

"Just take it easy, Abby. Everything's going to be okay now," Carter said, pounding the call button again. And as Abby rested her head against the pillow, she hoped that he was right.

A/N: The famine is over! After weeks of agony, I have finally finished this fic! A HUGE thanks to Brynn for betaing, brainstorming, and helping me crank out these last two chaps. The final chapter should be up Monday. After that, it's on to greener pastures! ~Taz


	11. The Truth

Chapter 11

She would never forget the look on his face.

His mouth hung open with shock. Slowly, all the color drained from his face. "Wha-what do you mean?" he stammered.

"I mean he didn't do it." Finally, she had told him! She wanted to, her mind had screamed the words, but it had been a day after waking that her lips were finally able to form them.

"The first night, he left, just like he said, and someone else snuck up on me. The second time, I slipped and fell, and he was in front of me, walking up the stairs." She leaned back on the pillow, exhausted. The small amount of talking had drained her. But she had told Carter the truth; that was enough.

"Oh, God," Carter said quietly, finally realizing the implication of his words. "He didn't do it."

Almost against her will, Abby felt her eyelids closing. Well, she had delivered her message; it was okay to sleep now.

Carter sat there for a long, long time after Abby fell asleep, allowing her words to sink in. Luka was innocent. Abby had told him so herself.

Could it be the pain meds? Was she delirious, saying what she wanted to be true? No, that was the clearest she had been since she woke up yesterday. He could tell she had something to say, and she wasn't going to stop until she had said it.

Carter thought of the way he had treated Luka for the past few days. How many times had he told him that _nothing_ could prove his innocence, and now Abby had? What could he do to fix this?

Interrupting his stream of thought, Chuny and Lily burst into the room. "Did she wake up?" Chuny asked breathlessly. Carter turned towards Abby ,and noticed that she had fallen back asleep.

"Yeah, about an hour ago," he said dully.

Chuny stared at him. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"

For the first time, Carter lifted his face to look at the two nurses. "Luka didn't do it. He's innocent. Abby told me."

Chuny and Lily froze, almost unable to accept his words. "Are you sure?" Lily asked desperately.

Carter nodded. "I could tell it was really important to her to tell me. She's been trying to get it out for a day now. But now we know; this whole thing was just a big, stupid coincidence."

"We have to talk to Luka. Where is he?" Chuny asked urgently.

"I don't know," Carter admitted.

"We'll I'm gonna find out. We have to make this right!" Chuny was visibly upset.

"We all owe him a huge apology. But sorry won't begin to cover it."

Carter, Chuny, and Lily were silent, and with each moment that passed, they were reminded of how Luka had almost been jailed for a crime he didn't commit.

________________________________________________________

They tried to find him.

"Luka!" Carter yelled. He banged on the door. He looked in the windows. Luka was nowhere to be found.

No one at County had seen him for more than a week. Officially, his suspension hadn't been lifted, so he hadn't reported back to work. It was like he had dropped off the face of the earth.

Guilt fueled their search. Every day, they met up after work. For nine days, they combed the city, looking for the man they barely knew. They considered going to his hang-outs, but realized that no one knew where he hung out. Really, no one knew anything about him.

They thought of stopping many times. After a week, not so much as a clue to Luka's whereabouts had been found. But every time they considered giving up, they remembered how they had treated him. They knew they had stood by and let him be hauled off by the police, when they had no reason to believe in his guilt other than the fact that he was there.

Carter felt the worst of all. _He _had called the police;_ he_ had proclaimed Luka's guilt when no one else was willing to say it. If Luka's body was found in a ditch somewhere, he knew it would be his fault.

So he searched. And searched. Even after the others had given up, he continued to search. He just couldn't bring himself to accept the fact that Luka was gone.

________________________________________________________

In the end, it was the least likely one who found him.

At first, she was sure she was imagining things. But the man at the end of the platform looked a lot like Luka. As she got closer, she realized that he looked a little _too_ much like him.

"Luka!"

He turned to face her. His eyes lit up at first, then his expression turned to one of concern. "Abby! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you!" Her face set itself in a worried frown. "Where are you going?"

"Away. For a while."

"Why?"

He looked up at her. "Everything that's happened has made me realize something. I don't belong here. You weren't there; you didn't see how quickly everyone turned on me, how eager they were to point the finger of accusation at me. The people at County, they aren't my friends."

"I'm your friend," Abby said softly, reaching a hand up to touch his arm.

Luka smiled faintly, then covered her hand with his own. "Then you're the only one." He patted her hand gently, almost absentmindedly. "I'm sorry Abby. For all of this. This whole thing turned into a big mess. But I'm glad you're okay. I'll miss you." He turned away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Abby asked, running after him.

"A friend of mine, he's volunteered for an organization, Doctors Without Borders. They give aid to impoverished countries. I'm going to Africa for a while. Not forever, I just need a little time away from Chicago."

"When are you coming back?" Abby asked breathlessly.

"I don't know, Abby," he said, looking down. "I guess I just need some time to sort things out." He wrapped an arm around her, pulled her closer to him. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"I'm sorry, Luka. Please don't leave because of this," Abby said, hugging him fiercely.

"You know, it's really not because of what happened. This just showed me the way things really are."

"But it's not the way things are! Listen, everyone jumped to conclusions because they were scared that I might die. But Luka, they _are_ your friends. They've all been looking for you every day since you disappeared. I know it can't make things better, but they want to apologize."

Luka looked tired. "Abby, they want to apologize because I didn't do it _this time._ Not because they know that I would never hurt someone I love, but because you told them I didn't do it, and now they feel stupid. Nothing's changed. The next time something happened, they would be just as quick to blame me."

"But it _has_ changed. Just come back to County and see for yourself," Abby pleaded, holding his hand as is she might drag him off the platform.

"No, I think it's time for me to try something else. Now that I see how little trust my coworkers have in me, it makes me think, maybe it's time for a change." He picked up his bag. "See you later, Abby."

And before she could say another word, he was gone, and Abby was left standing alone.

THE END

A/N: Think this ending is sad? You should've read the first one I wrote. It was enough to make anyone, carby or luby, jump off a bridge in abject misery. When I don't have anyone to bounce my ideas off, I wander into the Land Of Eternal Angst, so you have Brynn to thank for the not-quite-as-miserable-ending! And for the comma in paragraph seven, line one. Though I appreciate the ending more... ~Taz


End file.
